Sexual fantasy

mental image or pattern of thought that stirs a person's sexuality and can create or enhance sexual arousal

A sexual fantasy is a mental image, or a pattern of thought that makes the person become sexually aroused or helps this process.[1] It can be created by the person's imagination. Sometimes, erotic literature, or pornography can help create a sexual fantasy. The same may be true for certain objects, or being attracted to another person. Anything that can produce sexual arousal can also produce a sexual fantasy.

One of the illustrations to De Figuris Veneris by Édouard-Henri Avril. It shows a man masturbating while sexually fantasizing

Sexual fantasies occur in almost all societies around the world. They are rarely put into practice, mainly because of cultural, social, moral, and religious constraints.[2] In some cases, even a discussion by a person of sexual fantasies is subject to social taboos and inhibitions. Some people find it convenient to act out fantasies through sexual roleplay. People watching porn sometimes find their fantasies validated. A fantasy may be a positive or negative experience, or even both. It may be in response to a past experience and can influence future sexual behavior

Literature

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Sexual fantasy is also used for a genre of literature, film or work of art. Such works may be appreciated for their aesthetics, though many people may feel uncomfortable with such works. For example, women in prison movies may be described as sexual fantasies, as are pornographic movies. In the case of movies, the term may describe a part of the movie, such as a fantasy scene or sequence. Besides pornographic films, some mainstream films have included sexual fantasy scenes, such as Business Is Business (1971), Amarcord (1973), American Beauty (1999) and others.

References

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Citations

  1. Leitenberg & Henning 1995, p. 470.
  2. Kasemy, Z; Desouky, D. ES; Abdelrasoul, G (2016). "Sexual fantasy, masturbation and pornography among Egyptians". Sexuality & Culture. 20 (3): 626–638. doi:10.1007/s12119-016-9346-1. S2CID 147262359.

Bibliography

Journal articles
Books
  • Fisher, Seymour (1989), Sexual Images of the Self: The Psychology of Erotic Sensations and Illusions (First ed.), Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., ISBN 978-0-8058-0439-3
  • Friday, Nancy (1998). Men In Love. New York: Delta Trade Paperbacks. ISBN 0-385-33342-0.
  • Rathus, Spencer A.; Nevid, Jeffrey S.; Fichner-Rathus, Lois; Herold, Edward S.; McKenzie, Sue Wicks (2005), Human sexuality in a world of diversity (Second ed.), New Jersey, USA: Pearson Education, ISBN 978-0-205-40615-9
  • Scott, Gini Graham (1994), The Power of Fantasy: Illusion and Eroticism in Everyday Life (First ed.), New York, New York: Carol Publishing Group, ISBN 978-1-55972-239-1
  • Wilson, Glenn Daniel (1978), The secrets of sexual fantasy (First ed.), London, England: J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., ISBN 978-0-460-04309-0
Theses and dissertations
  • Davidoff, Orion (2005), Social Influences As A Mediator Of Gender Differences In Sexual Fantasy, Sexual Desire, and Sexual Behavior, presented to the Department of Psychology of the University of South Carolina.
  • Frostino, Andrea Taylor (August 2006), Guilt And Jealousy Associated With Sexual Fantasies Among Heterosexual Married Individuals, presented to the Faculty of the School of Human Service Professions, Widener University.
  • Girolami, Lisa (August 2005), A Comparison Of The Content Of Sexual Fantasies Of Lesbian And Heterosexual Women, presented to the Department of Educational Psychology, Administration, and Counseling, California State University.
Other

The American Sex Survey: A Peek Beneath the Sheets (PDF), ABC News, 2004-10-21, retrieved 2010-04-13